But Kakabadse said it could atone for its excessive carbon footprint by sharing its energy-efficient technologies with the world.

"It has a tremendous capacity to contribute with technology. Technology for energy, technology for water management, technology for whatever, even for food production that would make it more sensible," she said.

WWF spokesman Chris Chaplin told AFP business and industry were responsible for contributing to the high carbon footprint.

"The building sector in Singapore is responsible for 15 percent of the nation's footprint... If you consider the amount of construction going on, it's a substantial number," he said.

Singapore's National Environment Agency has said the city-state is dependent on fossil fuels because its small size limits its ability to switch to alternative sources.

Meanwhile, the per capita carbon footprint of Asian powerhouse China -- which has been accused of rampant pollution as it industrialises -- was around the same level as the Asia-Pacific average and far below Singapore's.

But this was due to the massive population of China rather than efforts to clamp down on pollution, WWF said.